<a href="http://news.sjvc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Virginia-Ochoa-HESP-STUDENT-picture.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-729 size-thumbnail" title="Virginia Ochoa HESP STUDENT picture" src="http://news.sjvc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Virginia-Ochoa-HESP-STUDENT-picture-290x213.jpg" width="290" height="213" /></a>After being sick for a long amount of time and missing a lot of school, most students would become discouraged and think that they can never go back to school. Virginia Ochoa a <a title="Pharmacy Technology" href="http://www.sjvc.edu/pharmacy-technology/">pharmacy tech</a> student at <a href="http://www.sjvc.edu/" data-blogger-escaped-target="_blank">SJVC's</a> Hesperia campus, she decided to give school one more try.

Having been out of high school for over a decade, she was swamped with working full time and thinking that she would never have time to go back to school. After a lot of thinking and research she decided that there was no better time than the present for her to further her education.

At first getting back into school was difficult for Ochoa, as it is an accelerated program and a lot faster than the way school was back when she was in high school, however she had the mindset that she was going to pass.

“I want to get A’s and I’m not going to settle for anything less than A’s and that’s what kept my mind frame going. This is what I got to do.”

This determination carried on even when Ochoa hit a rough patch. After getting sick and being hospitalized she was worried that she was not going to be able to finish the program. However her instructors were there every step of the way. She managed to stay on top of everything and even raise her grade from failing to passing with a B. At this point she knew that she was going to be able to finish the program.

With the help of her instructors and the other students in the program, Ochoa can personally encourage any other study that is afraid to start or becomes frustrated during the program.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions; don’t be afraid to say hey I’m struggling, I need help. Don’t be afraid to put that hand out because there’s always a hand that’s going to help you and pull you back in.”